Apple chief Tim Cook gets social, joins Twitter [U]

On the same day his firm released its newest iPhones, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook appears to have taken a step into the social media world, opening a Twitter account and letting slip a single tweet.

Update: Cook's account has now been verified by Twitter, assuring that it is the Apple CEO. As of this update, the account stands at 30,301 followers, with 50 new followers added per second.

The purported Cook Twitter account @tim_cook appeared online on Friday with a single message about his earlier visits to Apple Stores for the launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5.

"Visited Retail Stores in Palo Alto today," the tweet reads. "Seeing so many happy customers reminds us of why we do what we do."

Cook has previously expressed similar feelings about stepping into Apple's retail locations. In an interview at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in February, Cook joked that visiting a bustling Apple Store on a rough day is "like a Prozac" for him.

The account has not yet been verified by Twitter, but it is being followed by the verified account of Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, lending credence to the possibility that it is indeed the Apple CEO. As of this writing, the account stood at 12,298 followers, with roughly 50 new followers added every second.